Two-Year Patient-Reported Outcomes Are Predictive of Mid- and Long-term Outcomes After Meniscal Allograft Transplantation.

Abstract

To determine whether short-term patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT) correlate with mid- to long-term PROs at a minimum of 5-year follow-up. A retrospective review was performed of MATs performed between 2001 and 2019 that had preoperative, 2-year, and minimum 5-year postoperative PROs. PROs of interest assessed included International Knee Documentation Committee Score, all subscales of the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, and Lysholm score. Short-term, midterm, and long-term PROs were defined as 2 years, 5 to 10 years, and ≥10 years respectively. Midterm and long-term outcomes were analyzed separately. Patients were evaluated for the achievement of previously reported thresholds for minimally clinically important difference, patient acceptable symptomatic state, and substantial clinical benefit. Logistic regression was used to compare improvements in PROs with respect to reoperation. Linear regression was used to analyze the correlation between short-term and mid- to long-term improvements in PROs. In total, 54 patients (48.1% male, 51.9% female) with a mean age of 30.0 ± 10.5 years and body mass index of 26.2 ± 4.2 were included. Mean follow-up for the entire cohort was 10.4 ± 4.4 years. Minimally clinically important difference achievement ranged from 70.0% to 95%, patient acceptable symptomatic state from 55.6% to 78.6%, and substantial clinical benefit from 38.5% to 69.2%. We found significant positive correlations between short-term and midterm as well as short-term and long-term improvements in all outcomes, with the exception of Lysholm scores in the ≥10 years group. 18 patients (33.3%) had any subsequent reoperation on the same knee, 5 of which (9.2%) included conversion to arthroplasty. Two-year improvements in PROs after MAT are predictive of sustained success at midterm and long-term follow-up, with significant correlations observed between 2-year outcomes and those at 5 to 10 and ≥10 years. Level IV, retrospective case series.